Key Points
- John Brittas protested Hindi replies from Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu.
- Brittas replied in Malayalam, referring to the Official Languages Act.
- Southern leaders have raised concerns about the push for Hindi in the past.
- Kerala has not made Hindi an official language.
Looma News
Concerns about using Hindi in official communications are growing in southern India. CPM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas recently protested the way Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu responds in Hindi. On November 3, 2024, Brittas, who is the deputy leader of his party in the Rajya Sabha, shared his objections in a post on X.
In his message, Brittas mentioned he had raised concerns before about food quality on trains and the need for more cars for regular passengers. He pointed out that the minister’s reply was only in Hindi, ignoring the usual practice of responding to southern MPs in English.
Brittas expressed his frustration, noting that it’s typical for the Union government to communicate with southern MPs in English. He said, “Recently, that hasn’t been happening, and @RavneetBittu insists on writing only in Hindi. So, I have to reply in Malayalam!”
In his statement, Brittas referred to the Official Languages Act, which states that English should be used for communication with states that haven’t adopted Hindi as their official language. He argued that replying only in Hindi goes against these rules, making it difficult for MPs from non-Hindi-speaking areas.
Brittas’ protest points to a larger concern shared by many southern leaders. Figures like DMK’s MK Stalin and Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah have also spoken out against what they see as attempts to impose Hindi in their regions. Stalin has particularly been vocal about this issue, recently having a disagreement with Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi over the lack of Tamil in a Hindi Month event.
